TRATA DE EVITARTE EL FUTURO DOLOROSO || Scientists Shortlist Three Landing Sites for Mars 2020 | NASA

Scientists Shortlist Three Landing Sites for Mars 2020 | NASA

Scientists Shortlist Three 

Landing Sites for Mars 2020

Three potential landing sites for NASA's next Mars rover.

Credits: NASA

Participants in a landing site workshop for NASA’s upcoming Mars 2020 mission have recommended three locations on the Red Planet for further evaluation. The three potential landing sites for NASA’s next Mars rover include Northeast Syrtis (a very ancient portion of Mars’ surface), Jezero crater, (once home to an ancient Martian lake), and Columbia Hills (potentially home to an ancient hot spring, explored by NASA’s Spirit rover).

More information on the landing sites can be found at:

http://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/mission/timeline/prelaunch/landing-site-se...

Mars 2020 is targeted for launch in July 2020 aboard an Atlas V 541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. The rover will conduct geological assessments of its landing site on Mars, determine the habitability of the environment, search for signs of ancient Martian life, and assess natural resources and hazards for future human explorers. It will also prepare a collection of samples for possible return to Earth by a future mission.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory will build and manage operations of the Mars 2020 rover for the NASA Science Mission Directorate at the agency's headquarters in Washington.

For more information about NASA's Mars programs, visit:                                  

http://www.nasa.gov/mars

DC Agle
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California
818-393-9011
agle@jpl.nasa.gov

2017-034

Last Updated: Feb. 11, 2017

Editor: Tony Greicius